The Basic Idea: Help children, youth and their families save towards the purchase of an appreciating asset upon reaching adulthood so that economic status will not be a barrier to the young person’s path to success. How it works: Children and youth are provided with a specialized savings account that they can access and use […]

A Wealthier and Healthier Tax Time The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) launch in October brought big changes to the coming tax-filing season. This year only, health insurance enrollment under ACA will overlap with tax season. While penalties will apply in future tax seasons, this year, families can enroll in health insurance and get the coverage […]

Ready… Set… Tax Prep! Note: This webinar was presented in fall 2012. Some data and figures are out of date, but the stories and outreach strategies remain relevant. For information on maximum credits and EITC qualification rules, see the IRS website. You can also watch our 2013 webinar, A Wealthier and Healthier Tax Time. It’s […]

The EITC, in place since 1975, continues to play an important role in providing critical financial resources to hard-working low-income families across the U.S. In 2013, working families filing for the EITC (for the 2012 tax year) will be able to receive up to $5,891, a significant boost for families who are trying not only […]

The EITC continues to serve as a critical support for low-and moderate-income families trying to get ahead, by providing them with a much needed a financial infusion. This support assists families in a number of ways, including to help pay off critical bills, get an IDA, purchase U.S. Savings Bonds, and much more. The following […]

Since its enactment in 1975, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has provided low-income Americans with a financial boost and continues to lift millions of people out of poverty every year. This reward for work can make all the difference for low-income working families trying to get ahead. Indeed, the EITC also offers a boost […]

Roll Your Change Week (RYCW) is an event designed to encourage individuals and families to start saving. Community members gather the coins they have saved and found in their homes and carry them to a central event location-where volunteers roll the coins for them. People are encouraged to deposit their rolled coins into existing accounts […]

Earning It isn’t enough to lift families out of poverty—they have to Keep It and Grow It too. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are one of the most successful and tested ways to help families Keep It and Grow It. But there are special challenges and opportunities when you start and run an IDA program in a rural place. The basics […]

Do the rural families you encounter turn to predatory lenders and products when they need money—and end up in worse financial straits? Here are some resources you can use to guide them to better lending products that can help them stay afloat and get ahead in this economy: A recording of the RuFES webinar on the Nasty […]